In the Republic of Korea, the troupe will take part in performances and cultural exchanges.

A Vietnamese bronze casting artist from Hanoi, Nguyen Viet Lam, will also take part in the festival.

(Source: CPV)

The characters were placed on 12 sandalwood panels, symbolising the 12 months of the year, 12-year cycle of the lunar calendar and a symbol of long life for the country.

Thousands of brass screws were used to attach the characters to the base board, lacquered by artist Pham Xuan Binh from Bac Ninh province. The Z117 Factory, under the Ministry of Defence, plated the work in gold. The piece was then assembled, framed and decorated with patterns typical of the Ly dynasty by painter Phan Cam Thuong.

The funds to create the 4.6m long by 3.9m high masterpiece were donated by the Calligraphy Club of the Vietnam Association of Trade Villages.

In his royal proclamation King Ly Thai To (1010-28) pointed out that Dai La (now known as Hanoi) was a central point where four directions of traffic inter-sected and where the people lived in prosperity.

The king said that this area should be set at the country’s capital city thereafter.

“The land here is spacious and flat, such a fresh spot and a hub of commerce for the whole country,” he wrote.

The lacquer reproduction will be on display at the Hanoi Museum beginning in October 2010, the 1,000th anniversary of founding of the capital.

Many of the excerpts are recognized canons of cai luong theatre.

HCM City Television Station (HTV) and its partners played a role in encouraging youth to learn more about the country’s history and traditional arts.

To be staged at Dam Sen Park’s Water Music Centre, the show expects an audience of more than 1,300 people, including teenagers who often prefer more modern music.

Residents in remote areas will also have access to the show, which will be broadcast live on HTV channels.

“By performing and listening to “cai luong”, a traditional form of music in south of Vietnam, young generations can improve their love and knowledge about the country and its history,” said Vo Thanh Phe, winner of last week’s HTV’s traditional music contest Vong Co (Golden Bell).

The 29-year-old said he found inspiration by singing old tunes of “cai luong”, discovering that “performing is learning”.

Phe and his colleagues will perform in “cai luong” plays such as Rang Ro Vietnam (Brilliant Vietnam), Dem Hoi Long Tri (Thang Long Festival Night) and Nu Tuong Co Dao (A Female Commander), which will feature Vietnam’s historical events and national heroes.

Many of the musicians are students and migrant workers who love the country’s history and traditional art.

The show’s organizers were intent on offering a professional show and invited veteran “cai luong” stars Le Thuy, Minh Vuong, Thanh Ngan and Thoai My to perform with the younger generation on stage.

Vietnamese Legendary History starts at 8 pm on Nov. 27, 2008 at 3 Hoa Binh Street, District 11, HCM City. Performances are free.

Chairman Trong appealed to monks, nuns and Buddhist followers to maintain and develop the nation’s traditions, implement policies regarding religion and the solidarity of the Party and State in the processes of national construction and development, and promote the traditions and tenets of Buddhism.

He described the ceremony as an opportunity for all people to express their gratitude to the nation’s precursors and to preserve and develop Vietnamese culture.

Celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the death of the illustrious King Tran have been held since Nov. 25, 2008 with various activities taking place, including an incense offering ceremony, a requiem prayer for peace and prosperity in the world and a seminar on Tran Nhan Tong and his cultural and ideological heritage.

Yen Tu Mountain is significant in this context as this is where the King lived his life as a Buddhist monk following his abdication from the throne.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308) reigned between 1278 and 1293.

Known far and wide for his compassion and peaceful nature, he utilized a system of national examinations to search for talented citizens who could advance and improve the welfare of the nation.

He was instrumental in the organization of two of the most unusual conferences in Vietnamese history – the Dien Hong conference of all of the country’s elders and the Binh Than conference, attended by every military commander in the country, which helped to strengthen the nation’s will against foreign threats.

In 1293, Tran Nhan Tong abdicated in favor of his son and devoted the rest of his life to the practice of Buddhism. In 1298 he became a monk and settled on Yen Tu Mountain. When he was not meditating at Yen Tu, he traveled barefoot around the country, giving lectures and hosting seminars on Buddhist dharma. He became the founder of the Truc Lam School of Zen (the Bamboo Forest School), the first school of Vietnamese-created Zen Buddhism.

One of the nation’s most brilliant kings and philosophers, his influence has spanned seven centuries, and he remains an icon of traditional Vietnamese culture.